How to BWB Beautiful Blueberries in Simple Syrup...

Mr. Perky brought home a flat & 1/2 of fresh blueberries home from "Gold Hill Blueberry Farm" on Friday. If you live in Virginia or (northern) North Carolina this is an awesome place to pick up fresh PYO blueberries & raspberries. You are able to find them on Facebook.

They don't use any chemicals or pesticides on their plants.

What is a girls to do with ALL these berries? 

Thankfully fellow blogger posted a recipe. Who sadly isn't posting any more. 

Strange as it may seems, I am less comfortable with water bathing. I have only done a few batches.  I BWB 8 pints of fresh blueberries in simple syrup on Sunday.

It was very easy! These are her instructions fro simple syrup: which are still available online: Berries are Beautiful.

First, make a light simple syrup with 5 3/4 cups water to 1 3/4 cups sugar

Simmer until the sugar is melted.

Add 1/2 cup of the simple syrup into each clean sterilized jar.

 Add berries (leaving 1/2" head space). Release the air bubbles. :)

Add more simple syrup to fill jars, maintaining 1/2 head space.

Wipe the rims...

Look how awesome they look!

Add sterilized lids & rings.

Place them in you canner. I used my pressure canner, BUT didn't pressure can them. you bring the water up to boiling then BWB pints for 15 minutes & quarts for 20 minutes.

 It was very simple! I was excited to see how beautiful they turned out.

After this I purchased a Boiling Water Bath Canner. I have been friends with Gold Hill Blueberry Farm for about 20 years. If you would like to learn more vintage skills like this, please feel free to join our community at Perky Prepping Gramma on Facebook.

    

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Shhh! (read this post in a whisper)

Shhh!
(read this post in a whisper)
I tiptoed into the kitchen to snap a picture of Mr. Perky. I didn't want to startle him and make him bolt away. I captured him making pineapple jelly all by himself. He was so determined. Every few minutes he would peek his head out of the kitchen and ask a question.

I helped him find the pectin, the proper jars, he learned about the recent changes on preparing canning lids and the biggie: he had pulled out the pressure canner to process his jelly. Water Bath vs. Pressure Canning (40)
It was easier at that point in time to show him how to use the pressure canner as a water bath canner.
                                                             
Actually I had a blast. One of the things I have thought about is teaching people how to can when we get settled in our new home. I enjoy teaching and honestly do rather well at teaching, especially children. Just one of those thoughts rambling around in my head. Maybe I could teach a parent & child class. What do you think?
The thing is Mr. Perky really likes jam, jelly and marmalade. I am not a fan. Not sure why, If anything I put honey on my toast and sorghum on my biscuits. I have store some jelly for Mr. Perky and one day just suggested he may want to try his hand at canning. 
I am very proud of him, he did a great job and the jelly turned out great!

This is the recipe he used: Certo Pineapple Jelly

Water Bath vs. Pressure Canning

I have interesting conversations at Starbucks. Today I was chatting with one of my very favorite guests about canning. So, I thought I'd so a quick post on a couple basic principles of canning. Simple basics, never forgetting there were qusetions I didn't even know to ask when I started.

Food at the top of this chart may be water bathed or pressure canned. Please note with the way some tomatoes may be bred for low acidity and may need to actually be pressure canned.

                                                                 

(National Center for Home Food Preservation)

Foods that are strong alkali based, must be pressure canned. Also, understand there is a huge difference between a pressure cooker and a pressure canner.

You may cook in a pressure canner, but you can not can in a pressure cooker.

Note: I found it is important to measure your stove top to whatever is hanging or your stove carefully. Then compare that measurement to the height of your canner. When I ordered my All-American pressure canner, I thought i had measured carefully and I was off by about 1". Sad, sad, sad. 

Needless to say, when we were looking for property, I carried a tape measure with me. I was going to insure that my All-American pressure canner fit on my new stove!

                                                             

Also, take into account how much canning you thing you will be doing. I find I do way more canning that I originally thought I would be and now am very thankful that when I purchased my All-American, that i was able to double stack when canning. The larger size was well worth the money for me when I was canning 40-60 pints of chicken.

Tools, Getting Started and Organized
Other Canning Posts

Sliced Apples in Simple Syrup

 Friends gave us some apples from an orchard & I decided to try my hand again at WB (water bathing). So, I opted for simple. Apples canned in simply very light syrup. 
I used the directions from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

I did about a third of this recipe.

10-12 lbs apples, stemmed, peeled, cored and quartered, treated to prevent browning* and drained (about 30-36 medium)

1 batch hot light or medium syrup
8 (16 oz) pint or 4 (32 oz) quart glass preserving jars with lids and bands

I have to admit, if I was doing more apples, I might not have used my apple corer/peeler. But, I get a kick out of using it.

Directions:

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) PREPARE syrup by combining 1/4 cups sugar and 5 cups water for very light syrup.in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until needed, taking care not to boil down.
3.) COMBINE apples and syrup in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 5 minutes, until heated through. 

4.) PACK hot apples into hot jars, using a slotted spoon, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup into jar to cover apples leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. 

5.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. 

 

*To treat apple slices to prevent browning, apply Ball^® Fruit-Fresh^® Produce Protector according to the manufacturer's instructions or submerge cut apples in a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 cups water.

I thought I'd try dehydrating the peels (and some layers) for a snack for DH.He is using them for a snack.